By Brady McCombs
(Editor’s note: In 2012, Arizona voted down Proposition 120, which called for an amendment the state Constitution to give the state exclusive authority over all public lands, water, wildlife and other natural resources within its borders.)
Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt on Thursday slammed Utah’s push to seize control of federal lands as a radical measure that threatens the outdoor recreation industry, which brings a lucrative gear show to the state twice a year.
Babbitt’s comments came during a speech to a group of outdoor recreation company representatives in Salt Lake City for the biannual Outdoor Retailer market, going on this week.
“Our public land heritage really is under attack,” said Babbitt, speaking at a Conservation Alliance event. “We’ve really got a crowd of uninformed, misguided politicians who are attempting to dismantle or abolish public lands and the agencies that administer them.”
